---
type: "LegalText"
title: "16 U.S.C. § 5508"
description: "Criminal offenses"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 16
title_name: "CONSERVATION"
chapter_number: "75"
chapter_name: "HIGH SEAS FISHING COMPLIANCE"
section: "5508"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 5508"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc16@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t16/s5508"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml"
source_hash: "0f0233840fc40f8cec6ab4cf90bd7211bb0940df3e84b131d9e7ed3efa6302bd"
raw_snapshot_hash: "7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503"
text_hash: "25f2b8dcc2bcc3ff93ba5f0ffc5b2cf40ccf4a7a52e82feb64d07faba3f5e39c"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 16 U.S.C. § 5508 - Criminal offenses

## Text

(a) Offenses A person is guilty of an offense if the person commits any act prohibited by paragraph (6), (7), (8), or (9) of section 5505 of this title.

(b) Punishment Any offense described in subsection (a) is a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine under title 18, or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both; except that if in the commission of any offense the person uses a dangerous weapon, engages in conduct that causes bodily injury to any authorized officer, or places any such officer in fear of imminent bodily injury, the offense is a felony punishable by a fine under title 18, or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.

(Pub. L. 104–43, title I, § 109, Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 375.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective 120 days after Nov. 3, 1995, see section 111 of Pub. L. 104–43, set out as a note under section 5501 of this title.